Rising Stars: Country

These days it seems like every time you dare to blink, you miss another great, new tune by a hot, rising country star. Which is why we've put all the new sensations in one convenient place. Listen in as Rodney Atkins offers good advice to the beleaguered on "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)," then let the rich, boy-girl harmonies of new-kids-on-the-block Lady Antebellum deliver an emotional change-of-address notice on "Love Don't Live Here." Bad-girl Miranda Lambert stirs up some trouble with "Gunpowder & Lead," and Manitoba's Doc Walker delivers "Beautiful Life" with power and passion. Hear the hottest new country groups in Next Steps.

As high as country's solo stars can rise, there's something special about the all-for-one sound of group members moving together with one musical mind. That team spirit's most obvious in family band Jypsi, whose three young sisters and their brother let their love of '70s pop and modern country shine through their sparkling smash "I Don't Love You Like That." The three sultry sirens of Carter's Chord may not be related, but these Toby Keith protégés bewitch with their sisterly harmonies as they celebrate the sweetness of "Young Love." For those who like a little rock in their country, the Road Hammers rev up some chugging riffs while telling it straight on "I'm a Road Hammer." Hear from country's bad boys in Deep Cuts.

Smokin', drinkin', fightin', and just raising honky-tonk hell in general, rough-and-ready, saloon-stompin' bad boys have been making country history from Hank to Waylon to the newest tough guys on the block. Jessie Farrell makes facing up to a heart-wrenching split sound sweeter than pie on "I Guess," from debut album Nothing Fancy, while Jake Owen tallies up the wreckage of his hard-living past on the bittersweet "Startin' With Me." And if you've ever heard a good-time guy get the blues, you'll understand just what Jeremy McComb means when he wishes for a tavern to drown his troubles on "This Town Needs a Bar."

Looking for the new faces of country? You'll find that they each make their own special kind of splash, in all shapes, sizes, and sounds, from the Cinderella stories of former American Idols Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler to the barrel-chested boogie of deep-voiced macho men Jason Michael Carroll and James Otto. You can get a load of some ladies with attitude, like Ashton Shepherd and Miranda Lambert, or slip into the sleek, pop-friendly sounds of Jypsi and Taylor Swift. So whether your tastes run towards roughneck, roadhouse-rebel country-rock, soft-and-sweet country ballads, or down-home barroom foot-stomping, this is the place to catch up on the latest in all thangs twang.